Separator for crude oil and gas



T. LENNOX SEPARATOR FOR CRUDE OIL AND GAS Filed Feb. 7. 1924 2Sheets-Sheet. 1

r T. LEN NOX SEPARATOR FOR CRUDE OIL AND GAS Fil ed' Feb. 7. 1924 2Sheets-Sheet r Patented Nov. 11, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

TALBOT LENNOX, 0F MARSHALLTOWN, IOWA.

SEPARATOR FOR CRUDE OIL AND GAS.

Applicationfiled. February 7, 1924. Serial No. 691,164.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TALBOT LENNOX, a

pensive construction, and of small and compact form, that may bereadily, conveniently and economically moved from place to place and setup for use, and by the use of which crude oil and gas delivered from anoil well may be passed through'the separator and the gas thoroughly andcompletely sepa-f rated from the oil, thus leaving theoil in its bestcondition for storage in tanks and the like and saving the gas for use.

A further object is to provide improved means for automatically removingthe oil and also any water that maybe discharged into the separator withthe oil, and automatically maintaining a certain pre-determined oillevel and Water level within the separator. I

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combinationof the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated areattained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims,and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: v

Figure 1 shows a vertical central sectional View of an apparatusembodying my invention.

Figure 2'shows a detail side view of the exterior illustrating the gasand water discharge pipes and their automatic opening and closingdevices partly in section taken on the line 22of Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows a transverse sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;and

Figure 1 shows a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 4-4 ofFigure 1.

Referring to the accompanying drawings I have used the reference numeral10 to in dicate the outer casing of my improved separator, which ispreferably made of circular form and closed at both ends, substantiallylike the casing or outer walls of a steam boiler. Spaced slightly belowits horizontal center is a perforated metal partition 11, and containedwithin the space above the partition. is a tubular spiral or helicalseparator coil 12 substantially rectangular in cross section and havingits lower end open and communicating with the space below the partition11 at the point marked 13. Its upperend near the top of the casingcommunicates with the discharge pipe 14:. This coil 12 is preferablybraced and supported by means of supporting rods 15 secured to thepartition 11.

Communicating with the interior of the casing at a point above thepartition 11 is v a pipe 16 which communicates with the flowing orspouting well, or other sources of gas and crude oil supply. Below thepartition.

11 I have fitted to the exterior of the casing a circular flange member1'? having a detachable arched cover member 18. Mounted within thisdetachable arched cover member.

are two shafts 19 and 20, each being rotatively supported in packingboxes 21 mounted in the cover member 18. On the" shaft 19 within thecover member 18' is a square head 22, and a rounded projection 23 at theend of the shaft extends beyond this square portion. The other shaft 20is also .provided with a square head 2& within the cover member 18, andthis part 24: has a depression to receive the projection 23. Fixed tothe outer end of the shaft 19 is an arm 25 having an adjustable weight26 therein and fixed to the shaft 20 is a similar arm 27 having anadjustable weight 28...

Communicating with the interior of the casing at a point spaced atconsiderable distance above the bottom is an oil discharge pipe 29.having a cut-off valve 30 therein controlled by a valve stem 31, andthis valve stem 31 is connected to the arm 27. Com

municating with .the interior of the casing at a point near its bottomvis a water discharge pipe 32. This water discharge pipe h'rlw a valve 33therein controlled by a valve stem, 34, which latter is connected to alevei 25.

Mounted upon the part 24 of the shaft 20 is an arm 35 projected towardthecentral portion of the interior. of the casing and having a cupshaped float 36 at its inner end, and connected to the part22 of theshaft 19 is a similar arm 37 extended inwardly and then downwardly andalso having a cup shaped float 38. on its inner end.

In Figure 1 of the drawings, this float 38.

is shown adjacent to the waterlevel which is indicated by the numeral39, and the cup shaped float 36 is shown at the oil level which isindicated by the numeral 40. When in use the Weights 26-and 28 are sopositioned relative to their respective bars that they willcounterbalance'thelr'respec-v tive, cup shaped floats when the latterare full of dill.

In practical use it i s obvious that on=account of the compactness andrelatively small size of my improved separator it may be readily andeasi up. .Wh 16 from a flowm or gushing'well, then a uantity of mixe gasand crudeoil will be Iorced, under high pressure, into the interior ofthe casing. This oil and gas will then flow downwardly through theerforated partition as indicated by the arrows in Figure 1. When the oilunder pressure passes through the perforated partition, itwill bedivided into small streams or jets, facilitatin the escape of the gas.That 1s to say, it wi be sprayed and the globules of oil will therebybecome finely separated so that the gas commingled therewith will bethereby free from the oil. This gas will.

, then pass upwardly through the opening 13 into the spiral separatingcoil, as indicated by the arrows in Figure 1, and on account of the highpressure of the will flow with great speed through the coil. Therewill,of course, be more or less oil enter the opening 13 with the gas.However, on account of the centrifugal action. to, which the oil issubjected during its rapid passage upwardly through the coil, theglobules. of oil will be thrown out against the outer wall of the coil.In Fi ure 3 I have indicated the globules of 011 forced against theouter. wall of the coil by this centrifugal action, and on account ofthe fact that the coil itself is of large diamstar in cross section, theoil will flow back by gravity into the casing below the perforatedpartition, and during the travel of the oil and gas through the coil,every pars ticle of oil will be separated before it reaches thedischarge point.

p In practice I have found that, at the discharge point, a whitehandkerchief may be placed 1n front"of the gas discharge port and. itwill not be discolored by the oil. This gas is'then conducted through asuitable pipe to a container where it may be utilized. I

Theoil passing throu h the perforated partitionwill be accumu ated inthe lower portion of the casing, 'and'will maintain the T float 36 levelfull of oil at all times, and the upper surface of this float will atall times be slightly above the oil level in the casing,

as shown in Figure 1, on account of the ei ht 28,. When the oilaccumulates Within t e casing above a predetermined level,

then the arm to which the wei ht 28 is attached moves downwardly anopens the y transported and set] en a pipe is connected to the intakegas it;

from the gas During the operation of a separating device of thischaracter, more or less water wi ll also enter the casing and will seekits level below-the oil. The water is automatically discharged in thesame manner as reviously described in regard to the oil.

vencev the entire apparatus is automatic in its action.

I claim as my invention:

1. A separator for gas and oil comprising incombinat-ion a casing, meansfor introducing gas and oil into the casing, and'a pipe in the form of ahelical coil arranged wholly within the casing and having its lower endopen to the interior of'the casing to receive gas and oil and having itsupper endv communicating with a gas discharge pipe, and also having animperforate outer wall, for the purposes stated.

2. A separator for gas and ,oil comprising in combination a casing,means for introducing' gas and oil into the casing, and a pipe in theform of a helical coil arranged wholly within the casing "and having itslower end open to the interior of the casing to receive gas and oil andhaving its upper end communicating with a. gas discharge pipe, and alsohaving an 1m rfo rate outer wall, said coil being angu ar in crosssection, I

3. An improved gas and oil separator comprising 1n combination a casing,means forntroducing gas and oil to the interior of the casing, apartition within the casing below a. pointwhere the gasand oil enter it,containing a large number of small perforations designed to produce aspray of oil and gas, and. an oil and gas separating pipe communicatingwith the interior of the casing below the perforated partition andextended upwardly to a point of discharge,

4. In a device of the class described, the combination of a casing,means for introducing oil and gas into the upper end thereof, means forcollecting and retainin a quantity of oil in the bottom thereof, adischarge pipe communicating with the casing, a valve for controllingthe discharge pipe, a" cup shaped float open at its top and designed toreceive the oil that is dehvered into the casing and thereby maintainedfilled with oil' during the operation of the device, means forcounterbalancing the weight of the float when filled with liquid, meansconnected with the float for operating said thereof, a second dischar epipe communieatin with the interior 0 the casing below the rst one, acontrolling valve for each discharge pipe, a hollow support secured to 6the casing and communicatm with its interior, two shafts mounted in t esaid hollow support and extended inwardly to the interior of the. casinga float for each shaft, 3.

counterbalancing means for each float, and means whereby upon movementof either 1 float the corres onding valve will beoperated, substantiallyas and for the purposes stated.

Des Moines, Iowa, January 31, 1924.

TALBOT LENNOX.

